Manchester United head coach Ruben Amorim will be looking for a response against Newcastle United following their defeat to Wolves but the Portuguese will have a selection headache in midfield.

Captain Bruno Fernandes and summer signing Manuel Ugarte will both miss the visit of Eddie Howe's side through suspension. Fernandes was sent off for a second bookable offence during the defeat at Molineux while a late booking for the Uruguayan was the fifth of the season.

United sit eight points clear of the relegation zone in the Premier League and 13 points off the Champions League spots. Manchester City's return to winning ways saw the gap between them and their rivals extend to nine points.

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Despite conceding from a corner against Wolves, as Altay Bayindir did against Tottenham Hotspur in the Carabao Cup, Andre Onana is expected to continue in goal. The backline could see Matthijs de Ligt return to the frame in order to combat the physicality of their North East opponents.

The Dutchman may be included alongside Lisandro Martinez and Harry Maguire following their recent spell together at the back, with the Englishman earning praise from Amorim in the build-up to Monday's encounter.

Amorim continues to strive for improvement in his United side, they face another stern test in the Magpies but with the added factor that they will be without two key players. Both Fernandes and Ugarte have been ever-present since the 39-year-old succeeded Erik ten Hag in November.

And with five defeats in his opening 10 games in charge, the United head coach will need to delve into his ranks to plug the holes left behind by the two suspensions. Since his arrival, Amorim has deployed a 3-4-2-1 formation in eight matches, only changing his system for the opener against Ipswich and the recent comeback win over rivals City.

Across the four sees the two wing-backs make up part of the structure, leaving two midfielders and two attacking midfielders behind a lone striker. Should Amorim look to maintain that line-up, Casemiro could deputise alongside Kobbie Mainoo, in each of the Brazilian's five outings for the new head coach, he has started just two Premier League games (the opening two of Amorim's tenure) and was a second-half introduction during the Boxing Day defeat.

Christian Eriksen is another option in midfield as he was brought on alongside the former Real Madrid defender after the hour mark at Molineux. The United boss could look to continue the partnership that finished in the 2-0 defeat or opt for a more defensively-minded outfit to nullify Newcastle's high-press.

In doing so, a midfield five could be introduced with an added midfielder whether that may be Eriksen included alongside Mainoo and Casemiro. Youngsters Toby Collyer and Dan Gore have yet to make their bow under Amorim, with the prospect that the tactician may be forced to utilise the youth within the squad to make up numbers in the squad.

One would imagine that Diogo Dalot and Noussair Mazraoui will maintain their shirts in the wing-back position. And with the difficulties Antony has faced in his United career, it would be a surprise to see him feature from the offset.

Therefore, it would be no surprise to see Amorim opt for a new tactic against Newcastle in a 3-5-2 system - allowing for Amad to deputise alongside Rasmus Hojlund.

How Man United could line-up (3-5-2): Onana; Maguire, De Ligt, Martinez; Mazraoui, Eriksen, Casemiro, Mainoo, Dalot; Amad, Hojlund.